395 Tasting Notes
Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 22
Gah, I got distracted doing some holiday baking and oversteeped this one! And unfortunately it’s now quite bitter. But I don’t think I’d love it anyway… there’s an artificial vanilla custard-y note that is a bit jarring alongside the fruitiness. It kind of smells like a hand lotion, actually…
Not gonna rate it since I massacred the steep!
Flavors: Artificial, Custard, Drying, Fruity, Vanilla
Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 19
A cozy floral tea! I actually didn’t get a ton of rose in my cup and, frankly, I could’ve done with more! I probably didn’t shake/mix the blend well enough, and I think I was pretty distracted while drinking this one. Glad there’s another cup’s worth in the bag!
Flavors: Cinnamon, Rose, Vanilla
52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 7
Banana teas are really growing on me. I enjoyed this one a lot, so much so that I’ve got to increase the rating. It’s almost more of a creamy banana custard than banana eggnog, but still a lovely flavor profile!
Flavors: Banana, Creamy, Custard
52Teas 12 Teas of Christmas: Day 6
I was holding off on drinking this one until I was in the mood for spice! The level of heat is actually really nice, enough that you get a tingle but your mouth isn’t on fire. The chocolate comes through as it cools, as do some of the other spices.
A fun one for sure!
Flavors: Black Pepper, Chili, Chocolate, Ginger, Spicy
Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 21
I’d definitely peg this as chai rather than gingerbread! The clove is stronger than the ginger, and I don’t really get any gingerbread-adjacent flavors… no sweetness evocative of molasses or even brown sugar. Meh!
Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger
Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 17
I had just enough tea to make a nice little bedtime cuppa! Buttt I drank it while eating a very tart and flavorful Sumo orange, so the tea simply could not compete: It’s mild despite the two potentially powerful main flavors. There was also a smidge of mustiness that reminded me of chamomile, even though there’s none in the blend.
I should’ve timed my snacking and tea-drinking a little better!
Flavors: Citrus, Lavender, Musty
Homemade Advent Calendar from AJRimmer: Day 20
AJRimmer really did an excellent job catering to my tastes with this advent swap… I’m all about maple!
I really like this one! It’s warm and buttery and sweet, and the gunpowder base complements it well — I feel like it adds a backbone to the sweetness. I don’t necessarily get a strong maple flavor, though it is present… it’s more of a brown sugar-type sweetness. It could maybe do with a smidge more cinnamon, but honestly, this is one of the nicer DbD blends I’ve tried. (Though, admittedly, it’s tailor-made to appeal to my tastes!)
Flavors: Brown Sugar, Buttery, Cinnamon, Maple, Sweet
Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 19
Light, fluffy, gently creamy vanilla with a hint of peppermint. Maybe this is trying to evoke a candy cane? Or those pillowy, melt-in-your-mouth peppermints?
It’s not bad at all, but it’s not super exciting. 52Teas does this marshmallow-y, minty flavor profile so much better, with a lot more nuance.
Flavors: Creamy, Light, Peppermint, Soft, Vanilla
Simpson & Vail Advent Calendar: Day 17
Okay, that red color is impressive! The tea itself… eh. It’s mostly flat smokiness with a whisper of bergamot on an unobtrusive base. Fine enough, but nothing too exciting! Although I do think a smoky Earl Grey is one I can get behind.
Flavors: Bergamot, Smoke
A smoky Earl Grey can be amazing…I highly recommend Churchill by The London Tea Room!
My husband literally just asked me about an hour ago if I had heard of The London Tea Room! He was looking for something else and was amused that they had a tea called The Naughty Vicar. I popped on here to look it up and reviews are very good!
Ooh, thanks for the tip!
Lupicia’s Earl Grey Grand Classic is amazing too! Oh and I also enjoy Murchie’s Queen Victoria, though it’s quite light on the bergamot.
Ahh, thanks!
